Brassiere



D. H. KAUPP March 25, 1941.

BRAssIERE Filed Feb. 25, 1359 ML W M, ATTOR N EY5 Patented Mar. 25, 1941 UNITED STATES 2,236,142 BRASSIERE Donald H. Kaupp, New York, N. Y.

Application February 25, 1939, Serial No. 258,351

4 Claims.

This invention relates to garments of the type referred to as brassires and bandeaux and, more particularly, to such garments which permit increased control of the form of the wearer with attendant advantages-in fitting characteristics.

Heretofore, in garments of this type and par ticularly in those comprising bust pockets supported by a body portion a serious fitting problem has been presented in maintaining the center line of the body portion between the pockets adjacent the body of the wearer. Tension on the body portion beneath the bust pockets, created by the band encircling the body of the wearer, causes the center line to be drawn outwardly and away from the body of the wearer. This displacement of the natural center line is objectionable because it distorts the body form which the garment is intended to restore so that the over-garment of the wearer does not present the desired appearance.

Numerous devices have been proposed heretofore to overcome this defect in fitting. For example, cords have been secured to the lower portion of the center line on the inside of the garment and, after the garment has been placed in position, the cord has been drawn around the body of the wearer and tied in back. Similar devices have also been proposed but all have been open to the objection that they are inconvenient and uncomfortable, and no satisfactory solution has been offered heretofore.

The garment of my invention provides not only the support and control provided by the ordinary garment but also provides for complete control of the center line of brassires and bandeaux so as to permit perfect fitting of the garment to the wearer. The garment of my invention comprises a body member provided with bust pockets, a band adapted to encircle the body of the wearer and attached to the sides of the body member, and a pair of extensible members each of which is attached at one end thereof to separate portions of the body member below each of said pockets along a line substantially circumtferentially of the body with the other end of each extensible member being attached to a portion of the garment inextensibly associated with the band adjacent the pocket opposite the pocket below which-the first end of the extensible member is attached.

Figure 2 is a rear view of the portion shown in Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a front View of a portion of a modified form ofgarment embodying the features of my invention.

The garment shown in Figure 1 comprises a central body memberd provided with bust pockets 5. The upper and lower boundaries of the central body member converge toward the center of the garment to provide a center line 6. The lower boundary of the central body member is attached to a lower body portion. The lower body portion comprises two sections transversely extending across the garment and partially overlapping one another. One section 1 is attached to a minor segment 8 of the lower boundary of the central body member and extends freely across the front of the garment to the opposite side thereof. A second section it] of the lower body portion is similarly attached to a minor segment ll of the lower boundary of the central body member on the opposite side of center line 6 and extends freely across the front of the garment. This construction leaves a segment of the lower boundary of the central body member adjacent'center line 6 free to assume a natural position against the body of the wearer. The extreme ends of sections 1 and 8 are provided with extensible portions l2 and I3, respectively. The extensible portions l2 and I3 are appropriately attached to the sides of the garment at M and I5, respectively. The free end of section I which crosses in front of section l0 may be inserted with advantage through the vertical opening It provided in section Ill so that the extreme end of section F will lie in back of section H! as shown in Figure 2. Thus, in the now preferred embodiment of my invention a major portion of the free ends of sections 1 and I0, together with extensible portions 12 and [3, are concealed from a front View of the garment.

The lower body portion of the garment is preferably designed to be shorter, transversely of the garment, than the upper portion of the central body member 4 so that when sections 1 and 8 are stretched outwardly toward each side of the garment the length of the lower body portion more nearly approximates the length of the upper portion of central body member 4. The sides of central body member 4 and, preferably, also the sides of sections 1 and ID are suitably attached to bands 11 and I8 adapted to encircle the body of the wearer and be detachably joined in back of the wearer to form a single band unit. Suitable shoulder straps 20 are attached to the upper boundary of central body member 4 and to the detachable ends of bands I! and I8 in the usual manner to provide adequate upward support of the bust pockets.

It should be noted that the sections 1 and 8 of the lower body portion of the garment may be formed entirely of extensible material. Furthermore, sections 1 and 8 may with advantage be attached to the central body portion below each of the bust pockets without also being attached to the bands adjacent this point. In such a case the lower body portion comprising sections 1 and 8 will not offer complete control of the body of the wearer below the bust but will nevertheless maintain the requisite center line. Sections 1 and 8 may be structurally separate from the central body member and the bands ormay be integrally formed with either of these portions of the garment.

The ends of sections 1 and 8 attached to a portion of the garment other than the central body member thereof are preferably attached to the band as hereinbefore described. However, these ends may be attached with advantage to another portion of the garment at a point located below the bust pockets and preferably inextensibly associated with the band. For example, the end of one of said sections may be attached to a portion of the second section below the bust pocket other than the pocket below which the first-mentioned section is attached, although it should be noted that in such a construction it is advisable that the ends of each section attached to the central body member should also be attached to the band adjacent thereto.

The modified garment shown in Figure 3 is similar to that shown in Figures 1 and 2 except that the lower body portion is deeper so as to cover more of the abdomen of the wearer. Thus, the lower body portion of this garment may extend downwardly over or under the top of a girdle to afford complete body control of the wearer, and the lower body portion of this garment may be provided, if desired, with suitable means such as straps 2| for holding the lower body portion of the garment in position with respect to the top of a girdle.

In the fitting of the garment of my invention the garment is placed in position on the wearer with the bands 11 and I8 encircling the wearer. The size of the garment is preferably such that bands I 1 and I8 must be pulled slightly in order to permit connection of the bands together in back of the wearer. When the bands are thus pulled the lower body portion of the garment is distended by virtue of the extensible material l2 and I3. After the bands I! and I8 are interconnected contraction of the extensible material l2 and I 3 pulls the segments 8 and H of the central body member 4 toward one another so as to relieve tension on the lower boundary of the central body member adjacent center line 54. This action permits the free portion of central body member 4 adjacent center line the body of the wearer with attendant improvements in the appearance of the wearer.

It will be seen, therefore, that the garment of my invention provides greater accuracy and completeness of fitting than has been possible heretofore with garments of this type. The features of my invention are not limited, however,

to the garments shown in the drawing and described herein but may be applied with salutary effect in the construction of other garments such as corselets in which the brassire is integrally constructed with a girdle. The advantages in such a construction in accordance with my invention will be manifested in the same manner as with a simple brassire construction.

I claim:

1. In a garment construction of the brassiere type comprising a body member provided with bust pockets and having attached to the sides thereof a band adapted to encircle the body of a wearer, the improvement which comprises a pair of extensible members each of which is attached at one end thereof to separate transverse portions of the body member below each of said pockets along a line substantially circumferentially of the body with the other end of each extensible member being attached to a portion of the garment adjacent the pocket other than the pocket below which the first-mentioned end of the extensible member is attached.

2. In a garment construction of the brassiere type comprising a body member provided with bust pockets and having attached to the sides thereof a band adapted to encircle the body of a wearer, the improvement which comprises a pair of extensible members each of which is attached at one end thereof to separate transverse portions of the body member below each of said pockets along a line substantially cir cumferentially of the body and extending transversely across the garment to the band adjacent the opposite side of the body member from that to which each extensible member is attached.

3. In a garment construction of the brassire type comprising a body member provided with bust pockets and having attached to the sides thereof a band adapted to encircle the body of a wearer, the improvement which comprises a pair of extensible members each attached to a separate minor transverse portion of the body member below each of said pockets along a line substantially circumferentially of the body with the other end of each extensible member being attached to a portion of the garment adjacent the pocket other than the pocket below which the first-mentioned end of the extensible member is attached, each circumferential line of attachment being displaced transversely from the other.

4. In a garment construction of the brassiere type comprising a body member provided with bust pockets and having attached to the sides thereof a band adapted to encircle the body of a wearer, the improvement which comprises a pair of extensible members each of which is attached at one end thereof to separate transverse portions of the body member below each of said pockets along a line substantially circumferentially of the body and also attached to the band adjacent each of said pockets with the other end of each extensible member being attached to a portion of the garment adjacent the pocket other than the pocket below which i 

